Basic Tips For Dealing With Rodents

Finding out that rats or other rodents have infested your home can be depressing. Rats are difficult to deal with and multiply quickly, meaning you will want to get rid of them as soon as you can. Rats can also spread diseases and leave you and your family at severe risk for various sicknesses. Luckily there are methods you can utilize to help get rid of rats and other rodents that have been making your home their own. The following guide can help you get rid of the rodents and get on with your life. However, if these do not seem to be working, contact a professional exterminator to help you out.

Find the Source

The first thing you should do when confronted with a rodent invasion is find the source. This could be anything, as rats can get in through small openings you may not have noticed at first. They may be getting in through old plumbing systems, holes in the roof, or holes behind certain appliances. If you neglect to find the source, you may be able to kill the current rodents you see, but more will likely be coming that you will have to deal with in a few months or even a few weeks.

Search for Holes

Holes at least two inches in diameter are what you are looking for. Move any appliances that allow for it away from the walls to make sure no holes can be detected. Check behind furniture as well. Rats and other rodents can even get in through the roof, so get up to the attic and inspect everything as best you can. If you have removable floorboards or a crawlspace, thoroughly check over those areas as well. Rats are very versatile, and will find any means necessary to invade. You want to make sure there are no options available for them. If you do come across any holes, seal them as soon as you can to ensure more rats don’t come in through them.

Eliminate Food Supply

Rats, like every animal, cannot survive without food and water. Make sure all of your food is tightly sealed and hidden away, as loose crumbs and leftovers are magnets for these vermin. Also, make sure there is no sitting moisture in or around your house. If rats have a steady water source, they can survive and multiply over extended periods of time. Once you have eliminated the food supply, it will be easier to dispose of the rats.

Set Traps

You will want to avoid chemical solutions as much as possible, as these can be harmful for your home and your family. Traps can help you get around this problem. Basic rat traps can be purchased at most hardware stores, and they can be very effective. You may also want to use rat poisons, but they may prove more problematic in the long run. Poisoned rats could end up dying in places that are difficult to get to, meaning they could produce awful odors that waft through your home.

If none of the previous methods seem to be very effective, contact a pest control professional right away to help you with the exterminating process. The most important thing is to get rid of the rodent problem and prevent the risk of future infestation.